From one Kimi to another: how Räikkönen judges Antonelli's arrival in Formula 1

There was a special guest in Monza last weekend, on the sidelines of the Italian Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen, world champion Formula 1 in 2007, was present in Lombardy with his family, as a simple spectator. The Finn had not set foot in a paddock since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his last race in the discipline with Alfa Romeo.

The man with 350 Grand Prix was able to visit his former colleagues at Sauber and Ferrari in particular, but also take a look around the garage MercedesThe German stable even offered his son Robin, who is learning the ropes in karting, a few moments at the wheel of one of his single-seaters. The young budding driver, who will be 10 years old next January, will have to wait a little longer before truly claiming a Formula 1 seat!

Iceman 2.0 🥶

Kimi Raikkonen brought his son into our Monza garage for a seat fit in the W15.

See you in a few years, Robin 😉😄 pic.twitter.com/8LZnhi2xYE

- Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) September 6, 2024

On the other hand, if there is one who does not have much time left to wait at Mercedes, it is Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Italian will be the second regular driver at the Silver Arrows alongside George Russell in 2025. At the start of next season, he will become the third youngest driver in history (behind Verstappen et Stroll) at just 18 years old. The first Italian on the grid since Antonio Giovinazzi – Kimi Räikkönen's former teammate at Alfa Romeo – the protégé of the firm with the star will have to withstand enormous pressure, that of his team of course, but also that of his country.

And what does his namesake think of Andrea Kimi Antonelli's appointment to a top team at just 18 years old? “It’s great. I think there will be a lot of new faces next year, a lot of new drivers coming into F1. It’s a good thing for the sport, and it’s also a good thing to have an Italian in the championship. It’s good for everyone, I think.”

Räikkönen – Antonelli, same fate?

Obviously, Kimi Räikkönen knows what he's talking about: before starting in Formula 1 at the age of 21, in 2001 with Sauber (making him one of the youngest drivers in history at the time), the Finn had only competed in 23 races in single-seaters. A similar trajectory for Andrea Kimi Antonelli who, after being FRECA champion, took the plunge straight into Formula 2 and was given a starting position before the end of his first F2 campaign. An "express" training that does not worry Kimi Räikkönen who believes that the young drivers are much better prepared than when he started out.

“I’m sure [Mercedes] know how to prepare it. Obviously nowadays they have simulators. When I started there was no simulator, you just jumped in [the car] and went., recalls the 2007 world champion. I think it's a lot easier [to move up to F1], in many ways, today. You can do a lot of testing, obviously, and prepare. I wish them and everyone else the best!" Hoping for the youngest Kimi that he will have the same success as his elder.

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